In our biggest issue ever, we present a Showcase of Visual Storytelling—from miniature wonders in the garden, to monstrous discoveries beneath the ice. Exploring the Arctic with Art Wolfe, learning about Sacred Nature with Jonathan and Angela Scott, and meeting Ken Drake’s ‘Animal Beings’.
Brent Stirton sees his camera and craft as a ‘license to look’—with genuine interest and curiosity for people, he seeks the stories which challenge our view of the world. Winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017, his coverage of rhino poaching in South Africa impressed judges as both gritty and graceful. In this issue, Brent talks candidly with BE Journal about the unvarnished side of photojournalism, and explains why he is committed to creating confronting images that are beautiful to look at. We also discuss his policy on principled photography, the value of celebrating good people through social media, and the importance of supporting effective conservation through informed advocacy.
We also explore a new UK initiative, Back from the Brink, aimed at sparking interest in local wildlife. The project reminding us that endangered wildlife exists within our own neighborhoods. RSPB Photographer, Simon Roy, loves exploring his garden for images of timid and tiny things and shows us life in places we don’t think to look… under bramble, in a boot, amongst moss and mushrooms live chubby and cheerful bank voles. Inside a chestnut, on a clothesline, atop a garden fork, or bottoms-up in a yogurt pot, you will find doting owls, naughty squirrels, and nesting frogs.
Adult male Little Owl, feeding an owlet. 
Fallow buck, just after sunrise. 
A Rabbit exploring the grounds of a cemetery. 
Common Frogs, reflected in golden water. 
Common Frog, inside a Horse Chestnut shell. 
A wild Bank Vole, on a Butter Cap mushroom. 
A wild Bank Vole, in my garden. 
A Hoglet, sleeping on a bed of golden leaves. 
A Water Vole, reaching for brambles.
